Gov. Kathy Hochul was in Queens on Sunday morning where she promoted her economic agenda at a church service and took a stand against Medicaid cuts at a children’s hospital.
Hochul began her day at Greater Allen AME Cathedral in St. Albans where she paid tribute to Dr. Hazel Dukes, the late civil rights leader in New York who died on Saturday at the age of 92. The governor recalled being at Dukes’ bedside earlier in the week and said her life and legacy inspired her to do more to fight for women’s rights, civil rights and economic justice for all New Yorkers.
“Here’s what I challenge all of us with, though: When we think about women of history, someday, we will be history. People in the future will look to us and say, “Did we pick up that torch for justice and women’s rights and social justice and civil rights?” she told the congregation. “Did we pick up the torch and make it glow brighter and march forward? Or did we ignore our moral responsibility to lift up others during our limited time on Earth? I know all of you are with me as we march together.”
Hochul laid out key points in her plan for the state budget, which will be hammered out in the weeks to come with the state Legislature. Zeroing in on the cost of living, Hochul is seeking an expanded child tax credit as well as lower taxes for the middle class, providing free community college for skilled labor between 25 and 55 years of age, and expanding construction of affordable housing.
The governor also vowed to fight federal efforts to slash Social Security benefits and Medicare and Medicaid funding — the latter points of which she underscored during her visit later on March 2 to St. Mary’s Children’s Hospital in Bayside.
More than 7 million New Yorkers rely on Medicaid — the program covering health care to low-income Americans – including over 600,000 people with disabilities and about 200,000 pregnant women, according to Hochul. Last week, the Republican-led House of Representatives passed a budget plan that included $800 billion in cuts to Medicaid to help pay for tax reductions for wealthy Americans and an increase in border security.
Hochul challenged every Republican member of Congress to come to St. Mary’s and other hospitals before they attempt to implement such funding cuts for Medicaid and Social Security.
“And if they dare touch this, there has to be a revolt from all Americans, but certainly here in the State of New York. We’ll take that fight on,” the governor said. “And I think every Republican member of Congress who claims to represent New York State should come to St. Mary’s. Look in the eyes of these kids, listen to their voices, talk to the parents and then still see if you can go back to Washington and cut this program. I bet you cannot. Because otherwise you’d be the most heartless, callous people who ever walked this Earth.”
